Fasting is emerging as a new, hip weight loss method. In southern California, one of the dieting capitals of the world, a new approach to weight loss is making the rounds, partly to conceal the fact that the dieter is indeed dieting. Fasting, particularly the lemon cleanse detox diet has become a new favorite for fast and comparatively easy weight loss. When done right and for the right intent, fasting is a natural method of body detox and internal cleansing. When followed for weeks and even months at a time, fasting for the purpose of weight loss can be a very risky undertaking.
For centuries, juice fasting has been used with great success in caring for various health problems and detoxifying the body of toxins. Weight loss is a natural side effect of a fasting regimen, given that no solid foods need to be metabolized by the body and overall calorie intake is very low. Weight is reduced because 1) water retention goes down, 2) trapped gas in the digestive track is expelled, and 3) toxins that are stored in the cells of body fat are purged. We don’t necessarily burn fat on a fasting program, we are purging our fat cells of stored toxins, so our overall store of fat cells become smaller.
The chic set in southern California have learned about this, and detoxing has become the new dieting. And while the results are quite definitely desirable (in addition to weight loss, fasting gives you all the other benefits of cleansing your body — more energy, clearer skin, better concentration, a feeling of well being, and a reduction in various symptoms ranging from body aches to skin rashes), fasting for long periods can do much more harm than good.
What our bodies are crying out for is nourishment, not starvation. Most of us already experience unknown nutritional deficiencies. Our bodies need a frequent supply of nutrients to function and sustain health. Starvation or extreme calorie reduction will in the end cause imbalances in the body that will, at best, set up an assault of food cravings, the dieter’s worst nightmare.
The promise of fast weight loss can be very tempting, but weight loss at any cost is downright dangerous. There are a few healthy ways to achieve rapid weight loss, and there are healthy, sensible long term approaches to eating that will, if you stay to it, drop the pounds and keep them off.